Washington: The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits declined by 6,000 last week, reaching a total of 213,000, as per the latest data released by the Labor Department on Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, this figure not only beat market expectations, which had predicted a rise to 220,000, but also marked a decrease from the previous week’s unrevised count of 219,000. This suggests a stabilizing trend in the labor market, which continues to show resilience.

The report also highlighted that the four-week moving average, a less volatile measure of labor market trends, dropped to 217,750, down by 3,750 from the prior week’s unrevised average of 221,500. This decrease further underscores the ongoing strength of the labor market.

Despite these fluctuations, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1% in October, unchanged from the three-month low recorded in the previous month, indicating a consistent labor market environment.